Assertive win for Black Ferns at World Cup
- Dave Worsley
- Sep 8
- 2 min read
The Black Ferns have qualified top of Pool C for the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals destroying Ireland 40-0 in Brighton.
In front of a crowd of over 30,000 of mainly Ireland supporters the Black Ferns started strong and didn't let up.
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Loosehead prop Chryss Viliko set the tone early with a colossal tacking while. Liana Mikaele-Tu’u thwarted a lineout threat and followed that with a grasscutter as Ireland threatened.
Lock Alana Bremner was immense in her contributions, and when Ireland collided with one of their own players, they lost further momentum.
The Black Ferns' initial breakthrough came in the 15th minute when centre Stacey Waaka scored her 13th Test try. Mikaele-Tu’u charged through the middle, and four passes later,
Braxton Sorenson-McGee offloaded to Waaka, a two-time Rugby World Cup winner. This try marked a shift in momentum, and Viliko barreled through for another score in the 20th minute.
Sorensen-McGee was in exceptional form, gaining 114 metres, however, the official Player of the Match was Sylvia Brunt, who dismantled the Irish defence with her direct, powerful running. She had a dozen carries that laid the groundwork for an attack that got better throughout.
Arguably the best performance of the Alan Bunting coaching era has come at a crucial time, with a quarterfinal match in Exeter against the winner of France and South Africa on the horizon.
The Black Ferns have 113 wins, two draws, and 22 losses out of 137 Test matches. Their Rugby World Cup record stands at 38 wins and just two losses, with 17 consecutive victories in Rugby World Cup matches. The referee for this match was Hollie Davidson from Scotland.
Black Ferns: 40 (Stacey Waaka, Chryss Viliko, Braxton Sorensen-McGee 3 tries, Maia Joseph; Renee Holmes try 5 cons) Ireland: 0. HT: 19-0
